Niko Pravikoff | United Nations Information Center, Washington D.C.
Today, July 11th, the United Nations will officially observe an inaugural International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide. This day of remembrance, which was established by a General Assembly Resolution on 23 May 2024, will honor and recognize the many Bosnian Muslim men and boys who were systematically killed in Srebrenica on July 11th, 1995. On this day, Bosnian Serb forces took control of the town of Srebrenica, a then-official UN-declared safe zone, and methodically executed over 8,000 Bosniak males over the course of several days. Meanwhile, an estimated 25,000 women, children, and the elderly were forcibly expelled from the enclave, leaving their lives and communities forever shattered by this horrific event. This massacre serves as the worst atrocity on European soil since the Holocaust, and today, the UN stands in solidarity with the survivors and families of the many victims lost 30 years ago.
Member States, UN entities, specialized agencies, international and regional organizations, civil society bodies, and academia are invited to observe this day with activities, remembrance, and reflection.
The UN resolution which established the commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide (Resolution A/RES/78/282) also urges Member States to integrate the lessons of Srebrenica into school curricula and public outreach, countering denial through evidence-based education.
Justice and Accountability
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) delivered the first convictions for genocide in Europe and, along with the International Court of Justice, confirmed that the Srebrenica killings definitively constituted genocide. These landmark rulings not only helped advance international criminal law and individual accountability for atrocities but also aided in establishing a clear legal precedent for defining and recognizing genocide and ethnic cleansing for the future.
“This day is not only a moment of reflection. It is a call to vigilance and action,” said Secretary-General António Guterres, prompting the international community to be proactive and aware of detecting early warning signs and to respond before violence is allowed to take hold.
Lessons Learned & Institutional Evolution
In the wake of the 1995 massacre, the United Nations enhanced early-warning mechanisms through the creation of the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, elevated the Responsibility to Protect doctrine in Security Council deliberations, strengthened civilian protection mandates in peacekeeping missions, and launched educational initiatives to preserve tribunal-verified facts.
Survivors and Mothers from Srebrenica
It is also crucial to highlight the unwavering courage of survivors, especially the mothers of victims killed on July 11, 1995, who helped ensure that justice and remembrance were not forgotten. Their tireless efforts and testimonies before the ICTY made certain that the world could not forget this day and continue to inspire efforts to combat denial.
Looking Ahead
The thirtieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide not only reminds the world of this terrible massacre, but also that “never again” demands unwavering efforts toward the respect for human rights. In the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Let the memory of Srebrenica strengthen our resolve, so that 'never again' truly means never again.”